15.02.2012.

Marking the National Day of Serbia

In the National Assembly, the main ceremony on the occasion of National Day of the Republic of Serbia, in memory of the events in 180 and 1835 year was held today, which symbolize the beginning of the creation of modern Serbia. On that occasion, Serbian President Boris Tadic awarded deserving individuals and institutions, including members of the Serbian Army with special recognitions. The ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac and SAF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic.

As part of the celebration of the most important state holiday, Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic opened the exhibition "The Constitutions of the Principality and Kingdom of Serbia" in the Assembly hall and on this occasion said that the "our past links with our future."

President Tadic, on National Day, honored 17 deserving individuals and institutions, including tennis player Novak Djokovic, theater director Dejan Mijac, theatrologist Jovan Cirilov, the Action Team for locating and arresting ICTY fugitives, the Serbian Medical Society, Research Station Petnica, Dr Miodrag Stojkovic, geneticist as well as individual members of the Serbian Army, the Gendarmerie and the Department for Emergency Situations Ministry of Interior.

On behalf of the awarded Jovan Cirilov and Novak Djokovic spoke. Cirilov said that young people that they can enjoy "life in peace with all the benefits of democracy and freedom", and the best tennis player in the world said that he will continue to represent Serbia in the international scene the best way possible.

President Boris Tadic congratulated the winners for their awards and said that this day is when Constitution and the liberation of Serbia are celebrated. "This is a day that marks the centennial journey towards winning personal rights and freedoms in Serbia," Tadic said at today's ceremony at the National Assembly.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Cvetkovic laid a laurel wreath in Oplenac in Topola with high civil and military honors paying respects to Karadjordje, leader of the First Serbian Uprising. Further on, Cvetkovic laid a wreath on Karadjordje’s grave in the church St. George in Oplenac, in the name of the government which reads: "Glory may be to crowned ancestors of the Serbian Government."

In Maravica jaruga in Orasac the National Day and 208th Anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising were also marked. From the place where the Leader Kar?or?e led rebels into the liberation from the Ottoman rule, Minister of Culture Predrag Markovic said that the dignity and self respect is what we celebrate today.

The National Day of Serbia - 15 February, was established as a national holiday in 2001 in memory of two important events in Serbian history - the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1804 and the adoption of the first Serbian Constitution, the Sretenje Constitution in 1835.